Rational test tools integration overview

Using IBM® Rational® Quality Manager, you can manage and run tests created with several automated test tools.

With Rational Quality Manager, you can create test scripts that refer to automated tests created with other testing tools. When you choose to run an automated test, Rational Quality Manager sends commands to the machines in your test lab, causing the automated test to be run and the results to be displayed in your browser.

After you create a reference to an automated test, you can associate it with a test case in Rational Quality Manager. You can then generate a test execution record for that test case and run it.

Each test tool implements its own integration with Rational Quality Manager. Although most integrations are similar, the instructions provided here do not cover every detail of each integration. Be sure to refer to the specific test tool for further details.

Test tool adapters

Automated test tools integrate with Rational Quality Manager through the use of adapters. Each adapter serves as a bridge between the test tool and Rational Quality Manager. The adapter listens to requests from Rational Quality Manager and then runs tests on the test machine where the test tool is installed.

In most cases, the adapter is installed with the native product. Thus, the Rational Performance Tester adapter is installed with Rational Performance Tester on the Performance Tester test machine in the lab. Any configuration required for the adapter is also handled on the machine where the native product is installed.

Note: The Rational AppScan adapter is a special case. It runs on the Rational Quality Manager server, not on an AppScan test machine.

Managing automated tests that are local to a test machine

To use the adapters to run automated tests that are local to a test machine, the following requirements must be met:

The following figure demonstrates a user request to run an automated test when the test resources are already present on a test machine. The process is the same for the other test tools, other than Rational AppScan Tester Edition.

Integration between Quality Manager, the Functional Test adapter, and the test machine
  1. User chooses the Functional Test adapter to run an automated functional test residing on a local test machine.
  2. The Functional Test adapter receives the request and initiates a test run on the test machine.
  3. The test runs on the test machine, and the adapter sends the results back to the RQM server.
  4. Execution and execution results are viewed in the browser on the Web client.

Managing automated tests that reside at a shared location

With Quality Manager, you can specify that test resources should be copied from a shared location to a local test machine, where the test is run. When you create the test script, you specify the shared location where the test resources reside. Later, when you run the test, you specify the test machine where the test will run, and the test resources are copied to that machine. Finally, the adapter on that machine runs the test using a copy of the test resources.

The following figure demonstrates a user request to run an automated test residing at a shared network location:

Integration with an automated test residing on a shared test resource
  1. User chooses to run an automated functional test residing at a shared network location.
  2. The Functional Test adapter receives the request and copies the test from the shared location to the functional test machine.
  3. Test runs on the test machine, and the adapter sends the results back to the RQM server. .
  4. Execution and execution results are viewed in the browser on the Web client.
Note: Before you can use shared test resources, an Administrator must make the resources available to Rational Quality Manager. After the shared resource has been made available, users can create test scripts that reference that resource.
Note: If you are running in a WAS environment, and WAS is set up to start as a Windows® service, be sure to set the WAS Windows service to log in as a specific user account with security credentials. This allows the service to connect to any shared network locations that match these security credentials.
Related concepts
Integrating with Rational AppScan Tester Edition
Rational Manual Tester Migration overview
Related tasks
Making shared test resources available

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